1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vanadium garnet materials in the V.sub.2 O.sub.3 --CaO--SiO.sub.2 system.
2. Description of the prior art.
Phases involving the oxides of vanadium, calcium, and silicon have been synthesized previously only under the relatively oxidizing conditions of air (partial pressure of O.sub.2 =0.2 atmosphere). Under such conditions essentially all the vanadium is present in the pentavalent state (V.sup.5+). Vanadium garnet crystals are not stable under such conditions. The liquidus and solidus temperatures of such materials are relatively low (less than 690.degree. C. for some mixtures). In comparison, the liquidus and solidus temperatures for the subject solid solutions involving V.sub.2 O.sub.3 --CaO--SiO.sub.2 is at least 1100.degree. C.